It's got to be a 3.0 Patrol for £25k. It really has........you'd save some money if you bought a decent Toyota Hilux Surf.......also, then you'd have £20k odd floating around and could commit to being a share holder in a great plan I have to buy Charlestown Harbour. I've just seen a pie up there above that cloud.

Unfortunately the volvo towing capacity is really poor compared with the rest. As an outside choice, what about the vw toureg? I'm not sure if it will tow the full 3500 though.

I can vouch for the VW Touareg - I have the V10 5 litre diesel, it tows 3500kg without thinking about it and does in excess of 20mpg around the Devon lanes. It's comfy and has all of the toys, you can get lower mileage and newer compared to most other options as people are scared of them (for no good reason). Let me know if you want me to find one for you

I like the Touareg and the V10 is a monster! We prepare VW's off road support vehicles for them and I have always taken a shine to them. We make a demountable winch kit for them, should you want to have a winch option on yours?

Ive seen yours tow up Batson slip Cookee and it made your triple axle trailer look like a toy. my sister has a seven seat x5 and the rear seats really are quite small, way smaller than the gl or LC. My wife is getting stuck on the merc and I think we will look at some of those. You seem to get much more car for your money than an LC and some of the trick bits like electric rear seats are pretty cool for my wife who will usually be carting hoardes of kids around.

It seems the 420 is less popular than the 320 too as they save a couple of grand on purchase price on a like for like car. I guess I will pay it through the pump but the thought of a v8 diesel gives me a semi!!! Im now quite confident i could get a really nice 420 for about £22k with roughly 50k on the clock.

So next tip. Anyone now of any decent non franchise dealers??? It seems Saxton 4x4 get very mixed review but have a lot of stock.

Ive seen yours tow up Batson slip Cookee and it made your triple axle trailer look like a toy. my sister has a seven seat x5 and the rear seats really are quite small, way smaller than the gl or LC. My wife is getting stuck on the merc and I think we will look at some of those. You seem to get much more car for your money than an LC and some of the trick bits like electric rear seats are pretty cool for my wife who will usually be carting hoardes of kids around.

It seems the 420 is less popular than the 320 too as they save a couple of grand on purchase price on a like for like car. I guess I will pay it through the pump but the thought of a v8 diesel gives me a semi!!! Im now quite confident i could get a really nice 420 for about £22k with roughly 50k on the clock.

So next tip. Anyone now of any decent non franchise dealers??? It seems Saxton 4x4 get very mixed review but have a lot of stock.

My Company are 4x4 specialists, but we do not get involved with selling vehicles. We custom build, prep for Factories and MOD, expeditions, rallies etc. we also do everyday servicing and maintenance. We see lots of crap supposedly sold by respectable dealers etc. There are a lot of pikey dealers out there flogging off crap that shouldn't even be on the road, so my advice is to get the vehicle inspected by an independent specialist or at least the AA, RAC before parting with your cash.

My Company are 4x4 specialists, but we do not get involved with selling vehicles. We custom build, prep for Factories and MOD, expeditions, rallies etc. we also do everyday servicing and maintenance. We see lots of crap supposedly sold by respectable dealers etc. There are a lot of pikey dealers out there flogging off crap that shouldn't even be on the road, so my advice is to get the vehicle inspected by an independent specialist or at least the AA, RAC before parting with your cash.

I would add that a respectable dealer will offer a warranty backed by a national reputable company and not mind a third party inspection - just like a survey on a boat really.

Some of the warranties offered need a close inspection. Often they only cover things that actually break / fail, rather than wear. We have had several pissed off customers who have had problems they expected to be covered by the warranty, only to find it wasn't.

A vehicle bought from a main dealer with a factory warranty ought to be a reasonably safe bet. However, some of the main dealers can have a pretty poor reputation. Best bet is to buy through recommendation or referral.

Mate of mine near Harrogate bought a brand new car from a dealership in Leeds for his wife with a 6 year warranty. Even had a sticker on the rear window stating 6 years parts & labour warranty. 2000 miles the car became difficult through the gears so she took it in and was told it was the way she drove it & the flywheel was damaged. Cost him £2700 to get the car back !!!!
Some warranty !! All down to the dealers, I have a Merc & some of their dealerships are shocking. Try get a reccomendation off somebody you know !

Slight threadd-drift, but sort of on topic..... One for John really....how /are warranties affected if the vehicle is used 'off road' (is slipway is classed as off-road)?

I think I remember reading a thread on here a few years ago re a RR Sport and bent chassis(?) which LR refused to pay out on as he'd used it off road lny aunching a boat on a slip.....or similar....

I've considered /been looking at new tow vehicles, but had come (perhaps incorrectly) to the conclusiion that insurance /warranties etc would be affected by our use.....whilst not desirable, if one of the Grand Cherokees got stuck /covered by an incoming tide it wouldn't be the end of the world from a financial POV.... just curious really